Sawney Bean's Cave. Girvan Trip.

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Back In February Alan suggested an overnight trip to visit Sawney Bean's Cave. (seems to be two spellings of Sawny, this being the other.) Amazingly, considering we know Scotland fairly well, neither of us had been in it, too focused on bagging hill lists in the past. Sawney Bean equates to Alexander the Killer, as he was reputedly the head/ father of a cannibal family who lived in this cave centuries ago who pounced on luckless victims, robbed them, killed them then dragged them back to eat in the cave. A large family grown through many years/decades of incestuous breeding. It is a well known tale and several films have been inspired by it. The Hills have Eyes. The Descent, An X Files episode etc. This is the view from the layby on the A77(T) a few km south of Lendalfoot, and the cave is marked on the OS Landranger sheet 76 map. A steep path goes down to this small bay, snaking down grass above a vertical cliff. You need to be careful here with children or dogs as this photo is taken from the lay-by with a sudden drop of 150 feet straight down although there is a fence. Looking at the sea the grass path down starts to the right of the lay-by. The nearest town is Girvan.

Once down the grass path, seen in this photo, to the beach, the cave is hidden in the first ravine, the dark slot in this photo. At high tide it may be cut off. It was almost high tide when we did it but we still managed to scramble round into it.

This is the cave just behind the second boulder up. Although there is scant documented evidence as to the truth of this story ( they were supposed to have killed hundreds of folk before they were caught) I was impressed by the location as this cave is not obvious. You have to scramble over a six foot awkward boulder to gain entry and even then it's just a slot.

The view looking down from the cave.

The cave entrance. Inside it is large enough to hide 20 to 30 people as it goes back a good way though you have to be prepared to crawl in places if you want to explore all the various slots. We walked in around 30 to 40 feet but after that it's wriggle time and I'm too old and un-bendy for that stuff nowadays. On You Tube a brave/ mad girl... Ruth Aisling ...slept in it but I certainly do not fancy that. (Her video is worth a watch.)

For one thing it's covered in graffiti and for another it's next to the seaside and I've seen too many times what comes out of the cracks in sea walls after it gets dark. All manner of creepy beasties live in sea walls. None of them poisonous in the UK, just unpleasant as evening bed companions. Not for me although I have slept in mountain caves a few times but they were cosy and bright by comparison to this one.

Anyway, it was an adventure just being in it so thanks to Alan for the suggestion  to come here.

After the cave we ended up in another nearby layby at the village of Lendalfoot and the Varyag Monument. We had passed this on the way down. After the Russian/ Japanese War and the First World War Russian Cruiser Varyag had ended up here then sunk just offshore, hence the monument.

A bit faded but history info here.

The weather was grey and damp but mild, a couple of degrees above freezing so I camped in this large layby. Being midwinter no campsites or tourist facilities were open but luckily no one moved us on. Alan slept in his vehicle which was a wise move as it was a very windy night which rattled the tent and pulled several guy lines out. Also it was a noisy road with large HGV's ( presumably some off the Irish Ferry) passing 20 feet from the tent at 1:00am, 2:00am, 3:00am etc right through until dawn. A good trip though. Leaving nothing behind we left the next morning to use the toilets in Givan at Asda and buy breakfast which was a hot mince pie for me. Very tasty. Then this back in the house for dinner.

Beans and buttered toast. Smashing stuff.